There We Stood
by ANNAinDreamland
Summary: While the numerous citizens of Konoha are oblivious to the over looming events, Naka finds herself slowly falling into insanity. She has to choose to give in to her delusional dreams or continue being ignorant. But how can she save anyone when no one is willing to be saved? Tip: Never trust a person who says they'll be careful after you told them they're going to die. ItachiOC
1. Chapter 1

The three of us stood there, right be the gates into and out of Konoha. Each of use wore the symbolic ANBU mask, guaranteeing us that no one would approach or interrupt the conversation we were having. Not that it would be a problem anyway. Dawn hadn't yet come. The morning air was brisk and cool with only small wisps of light approaching with dawn.

Rat was tense. It was easy to tell with his taunt shoulders and crossed arms. His sinewy muscles were exaggerated from stress and annoyance. The only emotions we couldn't see were the expressions behind his mask.

"All I'm saying is that I don't think we can trust this guy," The dark haired man suggested, causing me to sigh and Frog to frown. "He's an Uchiha and you've heard the rumors." Of course the new captain today was the reason for our impromptu meeting so early. And the stigma against the police clan. "Everyone knows the only people who could've controlled the Kyuubi were the Uchihas."

"There's nothing to do," Frog, the voice of reason, stated in his low voice. "And anyway, we shouldn't speak of such things in the open." Rat's fist clenched.

"Well, I for one don't trust any captain who has ties to the Uchiha clan," The man muttered. I felt a bit sick, like I was each time the loyalties of the Uchihas were questioned. The Uchihas helped found Konoha as much as the Senju clan and decades later, we're left questioning their motives. It didn't seem right.

"This is out of our control," Frog cautioned the more short tempered man. "With sensei gone, someone needed to take his place. And I'd prefer if the kid didn't hear this conversation" Fear was hinted at in those words. Was Frog truly frightened of the Uchiha clan too? Was I the only one who thought this was all bigoted fear of a clan who was just strong?

"I say we do this mission but ask for a replacement after this. Let someone else have the kid. Now Hatake, that's a man to be a captain." Frightened of a clan member they call a kid.

I wanted to warn them from calling the Uchiha a kid. He might have been 13 at the promotion for ANBU captain but he'd already been fighting since he was four. At the same time, we were mere nine to eleven year olds just graduating the academy. And didn't his near perfect mission completions speak for himself?

"I agree with you but now is not the time."

"Rabbit," Rat sounded exasperated as he addressed me. "Don't you have anything to add? Your own father was killed by the Kyuubi."

He'd try to gain my vote by using my own father as leverage. The dirtiness of it twisted my heart. He should know better by now.

"No," I spoke bluntly. "I'd prefer to go with the captain best suited for the job than not just because some people are afraid of the clan."

"How dare you! I'm not afraid-!"

"Quiet!" I barked at the more vocal man and both teammates fell silent abruptly. More calmly, I spoke, "He's approaching." No matter how much they didn't like him, neither wanted to be caught whispering bad things about the young Uchiha.

"So," Rat started, beginning a fresh conversation. "How's the girl, Frog?" And then starts the awkward conversation in which we pretend we weren't just talking about how to get rid of our new captain.

The fair haired man cleared his threat with a pitch slightly too high than normal. "Ah, good, actually. We were thinking about visiting the hot springs village nearby to get to know each other more."

"I'll say you get to know each other more," Rat chuckled, hinting at lewd scenes, while the now red man didn't bother to deny them. "What about you, Rabbit?" I could only gaze at the man, uninterested, though the look was lost with the rabbit mask. "Well, you know, me and…"

I straightened my back at the young man in weasel mask appeared behind Rat. "Captain!" I formally greeted the new ANBU on scene.

"What?" Rat jumped, startled. "No! I'd be damned if I took a young boy out for dinner. Shit! I mistake one man for a woman and I suddenly get hell for it."

It was Frog who broke the silence, voraciously laughing at the idiot man's expense as I chuckled. The poor captain just arriving merely shuffled while Rat apologized profusely.

The black haired captain shook his head. "It is unimportant," He commented blandly and then it was back to business. "We'll head out for the mission and make details upon the rest site. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain!" The three of us reported.

"Then, let's go."

With a wave of Captain's hand, we disappeared as the morning light reached the gates.

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Four ANBU raced past the tree limbs, jumping from one branch to the next. Captain Uchiha took his place as the first with myself as second in order to give signs of approaching foreign ninja. Frog and Rat were back away, probably running to see who would be third and fourth.

It was the captain before me I had my eyes own during the traveling. I had seen him around ANBU meetings, back before he had been promoted to captain. Perhaps the shortest of the ANBU at the time but most definitely not the least intimidating.

It was hard not to be intimidated by the child who was considered a genius and brilliant ANBU. It was as if he was born as an adult in a child's body. I'd seen him unmasked before. Itachi Uchiha even had lines on his face, perhaps something he was born with or occurred over time during the Third Shinobi War.

So, I could see why Rat and Frog would want to hate him. The three of us were pushed to graduate the academy due to the lack of ninja force. The Uchiha wasn't pushed through the academy. He merely phased through it with excellence.

His pale hand slowly reached up. To grab his sword? Was an enemy nearby? My body tensed and his froze in place.

I relaxed. It was the signal to rest. Captain Uchiha disappeared and raising my own hand to signal the boys behind me, I fell through the foliage to the earth of the forest. Legs braced for impact, I fell to a crouch and ambled back up before walking to the captain, gazing around at the thick forest trunks around us.

"Sir, will we rest here?" I questioned, gazing at the long ponytail the captain adorned. Such a strange fashion for a thirteen year old. The ANBU in the weasel mask glanced at me and nodded. The other two ANBU, the rat and the Frog, jumped to the ground, waiting for orders.

"Hey, it's only now getting dark. Can't we go farther?" The rat masked ANBU quizzed the captain, his haughty voice barely laced with annoyance. Of course, Rat would question the Uchiha.

Whatever bait Rat wanted to rise, the Uchiha didn't fall for it. He merely shook his head and explained, "I do not want to rest near the mansion where we might be found. It is best to rest tonight and make up the distance tomorrow. We'll eat and break at dawn."

I throw a look back at the rat. See, Rat? He knows what he's doing. He's keeping us safe.

The man yawned, "Fine but I call first watch. Frog, what about you?"

The man in the Frog mask shifted guilty, "Fourth."

The captain nodded, "Rabbit," He looked at me. Perhaps he already understood our informal dynamics and spoke to me as such, "You take the second watch and wake me for the third. I'm going to take a look around."

The young man was far too kind or lenient, I thought, as he walked through the foliage to check the perimeter. He must have known the other two were giving him the worst watch hours, right in the middle of the night. And yet, the Uchiha took the treatment as if it meant nothing to him.

"So, Rabbit, about dinner," Rat started asking as I turned around to face the rat and frog masks behind me. They looked so innocent in their demeanor and masks, the one with dark hair and the one fair haired. The two had always looked so different, even as kids, I forgot how quickly Frog would act like Rat and support him.

I cut him off quickly, "You boys are fools," I commented mildly and paced after the only mature one of the group. I caught up to him quickly, catching sight of his flak vest and slowed down to match his own walking speed. The captain was waving hand signals and kunai among the bushes, in case our subterfuge was revealed, I supposed. The Uchiha genuinely worked meticulously, barely noticing me.

The black haired Uchiha said nothing as he worked on his progress, perhaps waiting for me to speak, so I merely walked beside, stepping away when he appeared to need me to. It occurred to me how strange it was that this boy and I were equivalent to the same height. Rat and Frog had always been taller than me. Sensei had been average height for a man and so, I always felt small. Next to this person was different, only a reminder how young he was.

When it seemed like the ponytailed man was finished, I spoke up. "I'm sorry for their behavior."

At first, the captain only responded by slipping off the ANBU weasel mask and for a many time that night, I was struck by how young he was. Whenever I pictured Itachi Uchiha, I visualized a young man in his later teens but here was a thin boy with lines on his face, appearing as if stress lines. His dark eyes seemed neither tired nor stimulated. It was as if he was left empty of emotions.

"They did nothing you need apologize for," Captain Uchiha remarked, shrugging off the reason for my apologizing before walking off. "The area is secure. The mask is unnecessary unless you wish to wear it."

Too mature, I decided. He was far too mature for his age as I slipped the rabbit mask off, red bangs sweaty from the heat.

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"Aw, mommy loves you," I spoke to a newborn baby in a wooden crib. The baby, wrinkled from young age, cried out as I gently swathed the infant into a soft blanket and tucked him next to my breasts. The baby cooed at the attention. "Sh, mommy has you."

A man chuckled in the doorway, causing me to glance up, brushing blonde hair away. "He gets more attention than I do."

I snorted, raising a red eyebrow, and asked, "Would you like me to breastfeed you too?"

The man stepped into the baby's room and suggested, "If I have to!" The brown haired man bent down and kissed my cheek, leaving a tingling sensation. Somewhere, I knew this man and yet, I had never known him in my life. He mumbled softly into to my ear.

I laughed and stated, "You lecher!" The man put on a mock face of pain but I just ignored his antics. "How was work?"

"Not as lively as you. How was he today?"

I smiled softly, glancing down at the little boy with tufts of blonde hair. "He was good. He didn't cry as much today." There was pain in this sentence. A heavy heartache. The boy had been in pain somehow. He was left crying. I wanted to reach out and take his pain as my own burden.

The older man sighed in relief. "That's good. The doctor said eventually the crying would pass." Tears pricked my eyes, at the relief of the present and at the burden of the past few weeks. The man touched his forehead to mine. "It's okay now," He whispered. "He's okay."

A heavy gasped filled the air as I sluggishly pulled myself upward into a sitting position. Even in the morning's cool air, I felt hot and sweaty. The baby's room was no longer there, I was back in the forest with thick leaves blocking the sky. I didn't know the time but Frog was on guard now so it must be getting later in the morning. He barely looked at me as I stumbled away to let go with bodily fluids.

Frog and Rat were used to this. Don't talk to Naka when she wakes up. Don't ask her what she dreamt about. Let her have her nightmares in peace. We all have them. Leave Naka's alone. Though, they'd never imagine my nightmares are crazy delusions, where I'm another woman. Let alone dreaming about… No, don't think of that.

I found a bush, thick with leaves and little red ladybugs flying around. I crouched down, thighs on the heels, and repeated my mantra; I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm _not_ crazy. There's a new mantra today. There is no baby. The baby doesn't exist. These dreams are my way of recreating a different world where I don't need to kill. Maybe I'm the little baby. I want to be innocent. Or maybe the mother. I want a child, maybe. It's better than the alternative.

I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy. I'm _not_ crazy.

There, I'm better now. My skin isn't crawling anymore. My breathing is normal. No tears in my eyes. I wiped those away already. I can face the others now.

Stepping over a log to get back to my teammates, I saw that all the sleeping backs on the dirt ground were packed away, even my own. The men were standing around, already in their masks, the youngest one farther away, his focus on something none of us could see. The rat tossed a backpack over without warning, though, I caught it without a second thoughts.

"Thanks," I called out numbly, sliding the rabbit mask over my face.

Itachi Uchiha circled back to us as I walked over, loose tree roots threatening to trip me.

"We know the mission objectives are to kill the target," The captain spoke, getting straight to business. "But it's imperative to kill the family as well." We glossed over this. The target was threatening to bring back the Third Shinobi War. It was better for one family to die than hundreds. "Now, the plan is to go in thirty minutes after dusk. These are our shinobi as guards so our intention is to knock out the guards with little incapacitation. I will take care of that." No doubt due to special Uchiha genjutsu. "From there, Rabbit will find the children."

I don't know why I said it. I knew really what I had to do but it just slipped out. "Where should I take the children, sir?" It was an uncomfortable silence that lasted only seconds and I knew my mistake as soon as the first word came out of my mouth. With the mask, no one could see the pale skin on my face erupting red.

"The target includes the children." Captain Uchiha continued on as I mumbled compliance. "They will likely hide the children so, Rabbit, I need you to sense their chakra will I'm dealing with guards. Rat, Frog, you take out the adults. It begins as soon as the guards drop. Understood?"

"Yes!" We yelled.

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The night was a clear one with bright stars littering the sky and a red moon casting shadows over the land. A few guards stood around the traditional mansion. Three of us hid in the foliage of the trees, waiting for the captain to incapacitate the shinobi and paid men. The air was heavy with tension and the blood ready to spill.

No one spoke to me. I was already trying to find the chakra of the two children. One was only an infant and the only a young boy. It was easy to sense the chakra of the other targets and the unknowing guards. Closing my eyes, I could see the multiple of people occupying the mansion. Everything went black and blue.

The blue was mesmerizing and tempting as each swirled in their unseen bodies. I paid no mind to these chakras. I kept looking for two smaller reserves of chakra. The larger chakras swirled past quickly until I found the targets I was looking for. There was one guard, probably located at the door and another one, a person lacking in chakra. It was a civilian, perhaps taking care of the two children.

Blue eyes opened up just as the guards below began dropping like swatted flies. I ran, bursting open the front doors, sandaled feet making no noise as I entered the large house. Bodies littered the ground; shinobi and workers alike. In the back of my mind, it occurred to me how easy it was with Itachi Uchiha on our side. And how the target stood no chance.

Down this hallway, jump over the body. Turn right, ignore the first hallway, down the second.

Open the second door.

Three bodies. The infant, the boy and a woman. Grabbing the sword on my back, I wondered if this was their mother. It probably wasn't as the woman wore a worn kimono. It was likely their nursing maid. I made my way to the larger bed where a brown haired boy slept. His pale face showed no sign of stress or concern.

I turned around, slicing the awakened shinobi's neck at an angle. His head flew off as blood sprayed the room. His body dropped, knees hitting the ground first, knocking the kunai he held to the floor. I picked up the kunai as it landed near my feet. I slid the sword back into its sheath. It was a necessary casualty, I told myself.

Back to the child where he slept in a warm duvet. He was innocent but the feudal lord called for all targets to die. He wouldn't feel any pain, I promised. He would never feel any pain again. The kunai made its way to the small body's neck as the white hand holding it twitched. It seemed only a small cut and yet, the blood poured from the neck as the child died sleeping, staining the sheets red.

I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Konoha can't have another bloody war so soon.

I didn't clean the blade of the kunai as I approached the baby in a wooden, brown crib. His face was chubby with bubby fat and little wisps of light colored hair were already poking through his scalp. He was newly born, just like my baby had been.

My baby? My heart started beating fast, sweat gathering at my temple. The kunai dropped to the thin mattress below. No, I had never been a mother. It was just the baby in the dream. It hadn't been real, just a subconscious dream. And yet, hadn't I loved him in that dream? Hadn't I felt that I would do anything to protect him?

And now, here I was, standing over another infant, trying to kill it.

Kill it! Kill it! My brain urged me.

My body decided differently. Despite never having held an infant in my life, I picked up the baby with great care, tucking him in my arms. Whatever the Uchiha's genjutsu did, the baby was sleeping heavily, so light I could barely feel his heartbeat through my clothes. I smoothed his hair down as I tried rocking and bouncing him in an attempt of comfort.

But to comfort whom? I had no clue if I was trying to comfort him or myself. "Sh," I hushed the child. "I'll protect you." He didn't bother opening his eyelids lined with thin lashes. The genjutsu on him was too strong for an infant to break. Even so, the child was beautiful in his own pudgy way.

Light from the moon escaping into through the window casted light and shadows into the room. I moved over to the window to look at baby in the light.

"Rabbit?"

I jumped at the young man's voice, looking up only to see the blurred vision of my team's captain in the doorway. Through tears in my eyes, I couldn't make out his flak vest or the lines on his mask but I knew it was him. Had time passed by so quickly already that he needed to find me? I brought the child closer to my chest and only gazed upon him, waiting for his judgment.

"Give me the child," The Uchiha spoke softly, as if the one who meant him harm was me. It was a quiet demand, almost a plea.

I shook my head, clinging to baby. My throat clamped shut. After all the assassinations before, here I was trying to save one innocent life. Against orders.

"I do understand," The boy informed me as he made his way toward me. Despite never fearing the captain, I found myself backing up urging my body to somehow pass through the wall. Perhaps the Uchiha sensed my emotions and paused, just a foot away. "But we're trying to prevent the recurrence of the war."

"I know," I muttered, unable to look at the captain's mask so I stared down at his sandaled feet. "He's just a baby, though. Someone could take him. No one would ever find him." I tried rationalizing my actions to the captain before me. "He could still live."

"No," Itachi refused. "If the infant's gone, the target's supporters would continue looking for it. If anything, it would only reinstate their opinions of the war. Our efforts would be wasted." The air was quiet. I knew he was right and I hated it. "I'm not asking you to do this. I'll carry the burden for you."

I imagined this child alive, playing and crying out for his mother. I imagined him growing bigger in an unknown place where he would be a nobody. Then, I thought of the war that Konoha had barely got out of a few years prior. I remembered the bodies that came in every day, if bodies ever made it back. I cringed at the childhood friend that lost his life on the battlefield before I ever got to say goodbye to him. Would one child be worth it to go back to that?

I was already handing the infant to the captain before I realized my actions. They were startling in one way. I was so willing to give up this child. And yet, how could it be surprising when I swore an oath to my country? One child would never be worth the hundreds dying. Either way, with tears stinging my eyes and an ache in my throat, I was pathetic. I nearly risked my village for an infant.

Numbly walking past the ANBU captain, I paused. "You won't tell the others?" I gruffly asked.

A short lapse in time occurred. "No."

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Trees whizzed past as we ran through the night, jumping from one tree limb to the next, calculating each step numbly through experience. Years of jumping through trees made the act mindless while other thoughts piled high on top of each other. All the sounds of the night were silenced by our own ears as we waited for any sign that perhaps shinobi followed us. No one gave a sign of a chase, however, and we were left in our thoughts. To be swallowed by them.

How could I kill an innocent child?

How could I believe that one child would be worth the village?

Isn't the point of the village to protect the young?

The innocent?

How can I give that infant to the Uchiha to let die?

How could Itachi Uchiha kill him so easily?

My heart fell through my stomach as the tree limb broke, a loud snap in the night causing birds to fly. I tumbled messily through the foliage, clumsily grabbing at the vines that slid past the gloves only to recover and roll as I hit the dirt ground. By the time, I came to a stop on my knees, three ANBU already dropped down, standing before me.

Three masks: Rat, frog and weasel.

"Are you hurt?" The weasel questioned, flatly. I stood up, brushing leaves from the long hair mussed from the fall.

"No," My voice cracked as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. What an embarrassment I was. I was an ANBU, part of the assassination squad, that actually tripped on a tree. My face only burned in humiliation; humiliation at the tumble and the scene back in the mansion. "Let's go."

The frog cocked his head. "You sure you're okay?" I picked a bunch of leaves from my hair, glanced at it and threw it off to the side.

"I said I'm not hurt," I snapped. The tears were back. The whole day had been trying.

"That's not what I-"

"We'll rest here," The captain spoke shortly. The three of us turned to glance at the young man, shadowed by the night. "There's a river up ways. We'll meet here in 20 minutes."

Rat interrupted. "We're supposed to be back by nightfall tonight." Bushes were rustling as I walked my way through them, already leaving the group of men. The stems were resistant but pushed away as I quickly hurried away. "Hey, where are you going?" I glanced back, waving a hand up.

"We have time." I heard the captain answer as I left earshot of them.

The silence was relaxing. The only sounds heard were the hoots of owls and the swell of water in the river. Against regulation, the rabbit mask was tossed in the river weeds. Armored gloves laid next to them, abandoned as I attempted to wash dried tears from sallow eyes and cheeks. The cold water reinvigorated me, bringing me back to reality.

I inspected the ends of the long, red hair, sighing at the dirt and twigs embedded in the strands. A few loose strands fell from the scalp, likely pulled out from the fall. If ninja were following us, I could have just screwed us with my scent and hair snagged by the tree.

The chakra of another person pulled me from the thoughts, causing me to turn abruptly to greet the captain behind me. I was tensed as I stayed crouched, ready for the barrage of complaints he must have held against me. First, the reluctance to kill the target. Second was the stumble from lack of focus. The third, the ignorance of the regulation to wear the ANBU mask unless agreed upon by the captain.

Despite my readiness for his complaints, the weasel masked boy merely stood before me, rigid in his stance. I must have looked like a mess to him. Even in the moonlit water, I could see the hollowness around blue eyes, lips torn from biting and scarlet hair trashed into disaster. Then again, he was still only a child and what was a woman's looks to him? Of course, I knew little about him.

Then, the Uchiha knelt down, handing the heavy white mask to me but he didn't pull back up. I stared into the weasel mask, trying to find the dark Uchiha eyes in the eye slits, as if I could understand him more by doing so.

"I apologize," The boy claimed as I slid the mask over my face. "I should have understood you were having trouble with the mission sooner."

I flinched at the words, wondering if there was an insult insinuated under the words. "I should have killed the target upon detection. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Shinobi rule: Find the hidden meanings within the hidden meaning.

The captain let out a breath of air as if he was disappointed and my shoulders slumped, confused at what he wanted. "You shouldn't apologize for wanting to save an innocent life."

"You could do it." It wasn't an accusation. It was a fact. A man four years younger than me understood more what the village needed than I did at 18 years old.

The boy was mute and glanced up at the starry sky, perhaps thousands -millions- of them blinking in the night.

"If it would save us from war, yes, I could do it," He spoke quietly.

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**Hello, everyone!** Think of this as a pilot chapter, testing if I want to write this. I wanted to write a story in which the OC is a reincarnation from our world that read the manga but has no recollection of this. All she has are emotions, random memories and occasional dreams, testing her psychologically. Thanks for reading! ; D


	2. Chapter 2

A young woman with voluptuous breasts made her way across the street, curly red hair piled on top of her head. In the breeze, it was blown beautifully and more than a couple men stopped to stare at the woman. The woman acted as if she didn't notice and instead, stopped to glance at some trinkets in one of the street vendors. Perhaps she really didn't notice the attention. She ended up trying one of them on, a necklace that nestled between the breasts that garnered the attention of the men.

Heaving, I took my sights off of the woman and focused eyes on my own red hair. Sure, the color was interesting but the hair was flat and dull. It was as if my own hair could sense my depression and acted accordingly in that manner. And the ends were in disastrous shape. I knew I should get it cut but it was hard to allow a stranger to come near you with sharp shears after years of people trying to murder you.

I felt a slap on the back of my head and frown, turning to the older woman next to me. "Momma," I yawned. I covered my arms over the much smaller breasts. "What was that far?"

The graying haired woman scoffed and raised an eyebrow at me. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

"Come on, I'm not that superficial, am I?" I challenged the woman, giving her a flat glare as the thin woman tapped my forehead.

"You're thinking that if only you weren't so paranoid about people killing you, you could get your hair cut but Mizuka-chan had to take leave for pregnancy." You get raised by a single woman for the past several years and she gets pretty good at reading you. Don't blame me.

"Eh, really? That's why her salon is closed?"

"And anyway, breasts that size would look unnatural on your size frame." A couple passing by heard those words and laughed quietly as they walked away.

My face flushed red. I brought my attention over to the various fruit and produce stands before walking briskly away. "I was not thinking about that!" Mostly.

The woman guffawed as she followed me. "Of course not," She assured me, jokingly. "Now, how was your mission?"

I jumped at the sound of her question and winced as we walked on through the street. "How did you know?" Most missions I were sent on were secretly doled out. No sense for the civilians to know the assassinations and backstabbery of the ANBU. Did Mother also know the moral crimes I had committed?

"Really, Naka, what do you expect me to think when your apartment is empty for several days?" She said it so matter-of-factly that the tension hiding in my shoulders had disappeared as soon as the words were issued. I did feel a little silly. Of course she would know I had a mission by that. "How was it?"

I exhaled a breath of air and monotonously replied, "You know I can't talk about it, Mom." My blue eyes dully looked into her bright blue eyes. The woman moved her lips into a pout. A group of children marched passed us, permitting us to walk around them. They wore no headbands but did wear kunai pouches on their bodies. Children from the academy.

"Well, talk to me about something," The older woman whimpered in mock annoyance. "Perhaps you have a new love interest?"

I turned to give her a level look. The effect was ruined as summer wind blew long strands of red hair in my face. "Don't pretend to be that type of mother." I picked the hair away, tucking the hair behind an ear. The woman leaned over, fixing other strands of hair. Perhaps I should try cutting the waist length hair myself.

"Fine," The graying woman grumbled, straightening her blue kimono. "You're too young to have a boyfriend. I was 30 with my first child," Only child. "And I was darn happy about that age." I sighed, noticing the differences between civilians and ninja again. Really, if I made it to 30, I would be lucky. ANBU had a nice causality rate. "But you could make this conversation easier by talking about something."

I scratched my head, glancing up at the ocean blue sky with picturesque puffy clouds. Nothing came to mind. We left the market district and approached the residential area where our family lived. "I'm sorry. Did I ruin our walk?"

"No," The woman tutted. "Any time with you is enjoyable." Her tone took a more concerned route. "Are you sure everything is okay, though?"

I thought about it really, first considering the last mission I had then, the combined dreams over the years and just the genuine exhaustion of the job. Last, I reflected on this strong woman who agreed to marry a shinobi despite her civilian background and raised a child ninja once her husband was deceased. "I don't know," I pondered aloud. "I think I am and then something else pops out."

The woman stopped, having me to turn and double back, staring at the clan gates before us. There wasn't much to look at. There was just the stone wall, three-fourths my height tall, and a swinging metal gate. A few scattered houses stood before us. Our clan had never been much, though pride would never let them admit it.

"Why don't you come in for tea and we can talk?"

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The most important thing to do was light the incense around the small alter in the front of the room. Mother had gone on to set the water on the kettle while I stayed alone with my father. I kneeled to pray to the young brown haired man in the photograph. I lit the incense, breathing in the smoky vapor and leaned my head down, hands placed together.

_Ancestors, give me the strength to make the clan proud. Forgive me for my failure to fully complete my mission. I will not hesitate again. Father, give me protection to keep mother and me safe. Let your strength flow into my blood and keep me strong._

Red eyebrows narrowed as I tried to think of more to say. Nothing came to mind. It was the best I could come up with in this time. I inhaled the musky incense and opened my eyes.

Next, there was a personal reflection on my father. I lightly brushed a speck of soot off of the photograph. The man in the photograph had straight hair, much like my own but in a less vibrant color, light brown. He appeared happy, though. Mother said it had been a picture from their wedding, this being confirmed by the robes he wore in it. He was also much younger than when he died. Another photo stood next to this one, just a picture of his face. His hair had already been graying prematurely.

Sometimes I wonder if perhaps he had been too old to participate in the attack against the nine-tailed fox demon. However, I would never know. I had only been a child in the academy, tucked away in the safe caves next to my mother, unaware my father had died.

It was strange how life was. At that time, I could have told you the names of at least three people who were going to die in that battle but it hadn't even occurred to me as an idea that my father could die that day as well. Not that an eight year old student could have made a difference. All I did was cry that time, stricken with emotions of unknown knowledge.

Not that I'm any better today.

Finally, I stood up from my daze, knees cracking from being set too long. I brushed off the soot of the used incense and wiped it away, eventually finding my way back to the kitchen. Mother was sitting down, reading a thin novel and sipping tea. Quietly, I took one of the tea cups and filled it with some of the green tea, giving it a strong sniff and sitting in the wooden chair next to her.

We sat there, me deep in my thoughts and her, patiently waiting for someone to speak.

She finished her cup of tea and took some more.

I drank mine slowly until it was too cold and refilled it with the some hot tea.

She reached the end of her book and placed it in the middle of the table.

I fidgeted in my seat after some time.

She sighed, went to the kettle to drink some more to find she had to make more.

I watched the sun go down in the open window, chewing on one of my nails.

She brought more tea for both of us.

I clasped clammy hands together in my lap.

Time passed more until the night.

"Naka, dear," Mother spoke with a tint of tiredness.

I cut her off with a sob, shoving my head around my arms as I laid both down on the tables. I sobbed heavy, wet tears streaming down my cheeks as my shoulders racked. The wood was hard but I paid no mind as I let tears slip from my eyes. Soft arms wrapped around my shoulders; awkward but kind. Mother whispered hushing noises and condolences into my ear, tucking wet strands of ear behind the appendage.

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"I-I really screwed my last mission!" I gasped finally, trying to make sense of all these emotions. "And I did really bad things! If you knew, you'd hate me!"

The world was dark with my eyes closed by I felt the woman next to me sit closer next to me. Perhaps she was startled because she exclaimed, "Naka, it's not like you killed a baby!" A wail erupted from my throat, reinvigorating my eyes to lose even more water. By now, they were painful, red and raw. "You killed a baby?!"

"No!" I denied. I only killed his older brother and let someone else kill him. Snot began running down my nose and I tried wiping it on black sleeves.

"Well, see, it's not that bad then. I'm sure whatever happened, needed to happen." The woman gingerly picked me up by my shoulders and allowed my head to fall into her chest, muffling the guttural sounds. "You can't tell me anything that would make me hate you."

I allowed my arms to wrap around the woman's tanned neck. Now that the initial burst of emotions were out, I was feeling a little better. A little. I was still hesitant, though.

"What if…" I trailed off, tense.

"Naka, I'm your mother. I'm biologically inclined not to hate you." The gray haired woman reminded me.

"Even if I'm crazy?" I tried asking as if it was just an example. The woman grew serious and pulled me from her chest, staring straight into my darker blue eyes. By now, the whites must have turned blood red with the surrounding skin tinged pink. If she hadn't been my mother, I would have felt self-conscious about the scarlet hair sticking all over.

"What is the meaning of this?" The woman questioned, intense. Her eyes had narrowed and her thin nose flared. In a sort, I was afraid of the aging woman. "Why the hell would you think you're insane?"

I gaped, flapping my mouth open to say something. Whatever I had expected, it wasn't her anger. "I just mean, I've been having these dreams."

"Your father had dreams. It's part of taking the path of the shinobi. Was he insane?" The tension was back and I felt defensive.

"Of course not! But it's not the same!" I fought back.

"Everyone has nightmares. You're no different. That doesn't mean you're crazy!"

Tears singed at the corners of my eyes. It appeared they could still produce the watery liquid. "I envision things about people and believe it, whether it's their deaths I make up or unknown facts about them. Like how I 'know' Kakashi Hatake had killed a young girl named Rin, the young boy Naruto Uzumaki would have a crush on a pink haired girl and I don't even know any pink haired girls but I could pick this one out of a crowd. Sasuke Uchiha will grow up to be a huge dick and a thousand other things I can't quite remember right now."

By the time I finished ranting, I ran out of breath and my mother leaned back in her chair, not quite looking at me, exhausted.

"Oh, I didn't know you still dreamed things like this."

I froze. "What do you mean dream things like this?"

Mother stood up, grabbing the abandoned tea cups, and putting them in the sink. I watched her warily as water rushed from the faucet, waiting for the woman to clean the few dishes. The washcloth made sloshing noises in the water as the older woman vigorously wiped at the cups.

"Mother, what did you mean?" This time was more insistent.

The gray haired woman threw the cloth back into the water and gripped the counter tightly.

"Why do you think what you dream is wrong?"

"I, come on, of course it is!"

"But haven't you ever been right?"

"No!" I vehemently denied.

The woman turned around, dark blue eyes seeking my own. "Be honest, Naka." She was met with silence. I couldn't look at her so I looked at the lines in the grains of wood. "What about your childhood friend? The Uchiha?"

Blood drained from my face, surprised she remembered the older boy from so long ago. "Obito." It was merely a whisper. How long had it been since I really thought about the boy myself? He had died not too long after making a friendship and I was so much younger than him to cement anything more than an acquaintance.

"You knew he was going to die."

I shook my head. "We were in war. Everyone was dying." It was like throwing a kunai wildly while multiple targets stood in the area. Good chance I was going to hit one. "I just guessed and got it right."

The woman wiped at her gray bangs. "That wasn't the last time." It wasn't a question or an accusation. It was as if it was a fact and I wondered how much she knew. How many more people did I say would die and did? At least five lives. "Naka, you've always had these dreams. It worried your father and me so we begged you to not talk about it anymore.

"I'm so very sorry. We thought they were just fantasies and when you stopped talking about it, we thought it stopped." The woman held a tan hand over her eyes, shoulders shaking until she was still.

"Mom?" I gave a frightened squeak. "What's wrong with me?"

The silence was interrupted with an ecstatic laugh. "Oh, daughter!" For the first time tonight, she gave a bright smile, showing off even her crooked tooth off to the side. "Can't you see? You've been given the great gift of prophecy!"

"What?!" I exclaimed, aghast as the chair below me suddenly clattered to the ground. I had been left standing. How could she call this a gift? I was tormented with unknown events, not knowing which were my own or fantasies. I was left stricken as I tried dealing with people that I knew too much about or wondering whether or not their bleak futures were set in place. "A gift?"

"Of course," She danced over to me, grabbing me by the upper arms, swinging me in an impromptu dance. "I knew from your conception that you would be amazing!" She leaned down to kiss my cool forehead as I tried to pull away.

"Stop, this is impossible," I opposed her, trying to clamp her in one place. "I'm not some all-seeing being. How would I not have known Father would die, if this was the case? Why wouldn't I be able to know all my opponents in battle or… Or just today, I went into a store and knocked over an expensive vase. Why not see what I was about to do?" And save me quite a few coins.

The woman pouted in deep thought for a moment and then the look on her face brightened. "Obviously, you're seeing things you need to change. The Will of Fire is begging for your help and you need only listen." She brought her hand up to caress my cheek. "Can't you see? The ancestors need you."

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Well, that's what I wanted to happen. In my tired, delusional mind, I wanted to make an escape where I wasn't some crazy girl who made up deaths and dreams to deal with whatever was in her past. I wanted my mother to say anything, even if it was crazier than insane to know something wasn't wrong with me. I'd even imagine she'd say I'm a gift from the gods if it meant I was okay.

Years in the ANBU stuck with me, though, as I cried, unable to let any words come from my lips.

Mother just sat there at a loss, smoothing my hair as I cried. She probably hadn't seen me cry since Father's funeral, if I even cried then. After all, Rule #25 of the shinobi rules state that ninjas must never know their tears. We were drilled that since the academy. In the past few days, I've broken Rule #4, #25 and at least two other rules.

Perhaps it's time I admit I'm insane, at least to myself. I can't keep going, believing that what I dream is actually real. I'll have to weed out the dreams and the emotions caused by my instability. Figure out the ones which are creations of my imagination and bury them deep then never think of them again.

And if I can't do that, then I'll retire from ANBU.

"Please, Naka! Speak to me," My mother pleaded as I lifted up my head from the table, wiping tears with the back of my hand. "I'm worried about you."

I pushed the chair back as I stood up. "Don't worry. I'm fine," I replied, trying to give a grin that was probably too wide from hysteria. After all, I'm crazy. Crazy. Tears prickled the corners of my eyes. I gave her a wave of my hand. "I'm sorry to worry you. I'll be back around the next couple days."

"Don't leave! You can talk to me. Please!"

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The evening air was cooling as I found myself walking around the village. I couldn't find it to go home yet and leave myself in the empty apartment. So, I meandered around, enjoying the talks of other people's conversations, enjoying their happiness. By now, however, most people were finding themselves heading indoors as I mindlessly stalked the village, waiting for something to perk my interest.

"-is so beautiful!"

"So I told him not to come back until-"

"-for supper and then we can-"

I paused in front of a shop, angling myself to stare right at it. A new restaurant had opened, at least, according to the sign in front. It was a delicate looking store with sweets in the window. A young woman was folding over the sign to 'Closed' and an older woman was taking a cake from the window. Too bad, food sounded good right now, according to my stomach. Even empty sweet calorie.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I lightly brushed against someone, childish laughter filling my ears. Well, there was always the good, old ramen place. So what if I had it yesterday?

I paid no attention to the person as I heard them turn around, surprised until I heard a familiar voice asking, "Naka?"

I looked back, stopping; trying to place the black haired boy with a younger boy perched on his back. Two pairs of black eyes blinked at me, the younger one owlishly. "Oh. Uchiha." Itachi Uchiha looked even younger with his civilian clothes on; a black shirt and long pants. Actually, it looked pretty similar to the clothes he wore with the ANBU outfit. Let's be honest. It was the exact same as all of the Uchiha clan.

The little boy on his back, Sasuke- I jolted at the remembrance of his name- looked to the boy holding him. He was cute with his messy hair. Someone else told you his name, I reminded myself. You just forgot who is all. "Is this your friend, Itachi?" The kid was shockingly innocent.

A small twitch tugged at the older boy's lips. "Ah, yes. In a sort." Of course it's easier to say friend than ANBU coworker to a child. The little boy glanced at me, looking, and then straight back to Itachi.

"Why was she crying?" Sasuke asked curiously. I flinched, bringing a hand halfway up to my eyes, wondering if the redness was really still there, then thought better of it. That would be too pointed of a gesture. The hand hung limp at my side.

"Sasuke," Itachi reprimanded. "You should be more respectful." Ouch. It really was that noticeable if the older boy wasn't even denying it.

I lied about it, obviously. It was one thing to have others realize the fact but quite another to admit to it. "I wasn't crying," I said, too defensively, too rushed, as I tried to shake red bangs over my eyes. As an ANBU, I really should be better at this. "What are you doing here, Itachi?"

Sasuke pouted. "Yes, you were! Now, you're trying to hide it!" Fuck Uchiha geniuses.

Itachi heaved a sigh. It really was no wonder. His brother was a child. "That doesn't give you any right, Sasuke." The little boy pouted on his back. "I'm sorry, Naka. This is my younger brother. He's still learning." Sasuke stuck out a little pink tongue out of sight of Itachi and my eye twitched. "I did promise him a treat, though."

I liked the change of a new subject and without thinking, I grabbed my stomach, a small moan eliciting from my mouth. I really, really liked food. "Ha! I should eat, too."

The older boy gazed at me, deliberating before opening his mouth. "Do you want to join?" He asked, rather bluntly. The little kid on his back made an open grimace while slumping from frustration. One side of Itachi's mouth twitched upward.

I blinked at his abrupt question. "I really wasn't trying to invite myself," I admitted, bring up fingers to twist at the long bangs around to glance at the strands. I had broken ends. Itachi raised one of his eyebrows, glancing at me before looking away at the streetlamp. Did I ever mention the boy had long eyelashes? He did.

"I know you weren't," He acknowledged and I nodded absentmindedly. "The offer still stands."

I shrugged my shoulders, watching how the light casted shadows on the ANBU captain's face. "I'm actually heading this way," I explained, gesturing my thumb behind me. Only a few blocks behind me stood the glorious noodle restaurant. That place frequently stays open until late into the night. Plus, you could always count on the old man to leave you to your private thoughts.

"Right."

Sasuke perked his head up as he heard my refusal. "Good! I don't like liars!"

What a brat, I thought, as I stood stock still. Then I grinned a bit too widely, blue eyes twinkling in the night lamps. "I'll be sure to join you two some other time," I stated, hoping to make the younger boy feel uncomfortable. The older Uchiha glanced between his younger brother and me while Sasuke went back to sulking. "So, I'll see you?" I motioned for him that it was alright to leave me alone.

"I suppose."

The older boy shrugged and turned back around, leaving little Sasuke with his bright eyes glaring back at me. I stuck my own tongue out at him.

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**Hello, everyone! This is the first story where I'm trying very hard to make every scenario realistic. Of course, that means a lot of rewriting. The ending was probably rewritten three to four times alone. Anyways, all feedback is welcome (kindly written encouraged)! Thanks for reading.**


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